If you go to Steve Dunn's Personal View of South Shields on https://www.facebook.com/groups/stevedunn/ you will see a series of photos of the Market Pubs that I have placed on the site including the Exchange, Market, Marine, Norfolk and Suffolk, Nunnerie, Tram, Grapes, City of Durham and the Lifeboat. There are still a few more to go. If anyone is interested, you have to request membership to the site which is a simple formality, but there are some cracking photos of old Shields.

Jeez, I remember Viv well. He was a good friend of Keith Tilly, who used to run the Duster when I worked there - 1976-1980.
Viv used to come in to the offie and shout along the counter at me "Hey, Paulie! You gonna let me in or what?" Then he'd smile sweetly until I let him through into the back. You know, he had a reputation as a hard man, and I heard a few tales from him and his friends, but he was always a gentleman to me.

Funny thing was, I moved to London in the early 80's, and one night in @ 83 or 84, I was having a drink with some friends in a pub called The Dolphin not far from St. Pancras station, round the back of Camden Town Hall, when this weird looking, Keith Richards look-alike came up to our group and says to me, "So you're a Geordie, eh? Then you'll know my brother, George. Most people know him as Viv, though." And I said, "from the Blue Parrot? Yeah, I know him well! He's a great eff'ing bloke! Good mate to those that know him." Made that guy's night, cos everyone else there he knew him thought he was a weirdo - you know - lots of homophobia in those days.

The Wild Witch-Wizard of Whiteleas
Was a changeling's son from Mars.
He learnt his songs
From the Cosmic Throngs
And played them on a Fender guitar - Oh yeah.

Used to be there were 21 pubs between the Ferry and the sea front. As a 21st birthday pub crawl, you would have a drink - probably not a pint, more likely a short, in each one, until the group got to the beach, and the birthday boy was thrown in the water!!

Good times!

The Wild Witch-Wizard of Whiteleas
Was a changeling's son from Mars.
He learnt his songs
From the Cosmic Throngs
And played them on a Fender guitar - Oh yeah.

Barney went to the FAD last week on the wall there is a photo from 73/74 think, with everyone who hung around their Kev keeler, david Farham. graham clark etc they were sitting on the small roof on that little shed at the side and on the ground as well.

was in a pub in London yesterday called the hoop and grapes
it was a bit of a real ale pub and had some magazines
on the back of one of the books was a review of a book called pubs of south shields
apparently there used to be a pub in the market place called "the three indian kings"
anyone old enough to remember it?